A burglar had to ask for help from the occupants of the home he was was trying to rob after he severely cut himself on the window he broke to get inside, police say.

SALT LAKE CITY — A burglar had to ask for help from the occupants of the home he was was trying to rob after he severely cut himself on the window he broke to get inside, police say.

Just after 6 a.m. Thursday, a 20-year-old man broke a window at a home in the 500 South block of 1000 West, said Salt Lake police detective Dennis McGowan. As the man crawled through the window, a shard of glass caused a "large and deep" cut to one of his arms.

Three adults inside the home woke up to the sound of the shattering glass. When they went to investigate, they found the intruder sitting on the floor. One of his arms was bleeding heavily. In the other hand, he was holding items that belonged to the homeowners, McGowan said. The man claimed he was trying to get away from people who were chasing him.

The homeowners called 911. The intruder was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. McGowan said it was possible that an artery was cut. The man, whose name was not released pending his arrest, remained in the hospital Thursday night. He was expected to be arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail after being released.

Pat is a veteran police and courts reporter for the Deseret News and KSL and has covered some of the biggest stories in Utah for the past two decades. He is a graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in journalism.